Trusted Agent profile · Southampton
★★★★★
1,768 reviews across 2 platforms
409 Shirley Road, Southampton, SO15 3JD, SO15 3JD
Connells's office in Southampton, at 409 Shirley Road, is rated 2.1 out of 5 across 1,768 reviews on two platforms, including 157 Google reviews rated 4.2.
Every review we hold for the Southampton office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
1/5
TrustpilotInitial sales pitch was promising
Initial sales pitch was promising, which lead us to believe that Connells would be competent and trustworthy. What lay ahead was Rude arrogant staff who lied too us , no apologies or recognition of responsibility and sarcasm on phone calls.
3/5
TrustpilotTitle: Mixed Experience with Connells Property and Agent Harriete Ward
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)I recently had the opportunity to work with Connells Property, with Harriet Ward as my agent. My experience with Connells had its ups and downs, and I feel it's important to provide an honest review to help potential clients make informed decisions.Let's start with the positive aspects of my experience:Positive Points:Good Communication: Harriet Ward displayed commendable communication skills throughout the process. She promptly responded to emails and calls, ensuring I was always in the loop regarding the progress of my property transaction. This was greatly appreciated and helped alleviate some of the stress associated with property dealings.Outstanding Assistance with Queries: Harriete went the extra mile to assist with my numerous queries and questions. Her willingness to address my concerns, no matter how trivial they may have seemed, made me feel valued as a client.However, there were certain negative aspects that marred my experience:Negative Points:Procedures Left Until the Last Minute: One significant drawback was the tendency to leave crucial procedures until the very last minute. This lack of proactive planning left no room for addressing potential hurdles or issues that could have been resolved with more time. It created unnecessary stress and uncertainty, which could have been avoided with better organization and foresight.Inadequate Property Cleaning: When I moved into the property, I was disappointed to find that it had not been cleaned properly. This oversight was unexpected and frustrating, as I had expected a higher level of attention to detail. Having to clean the property myself upon moving in was an inconvenience that should not have occurred.In conclusion, my experience with Connells Property and Harriet Ward as my agent was a mixed one. While Harriet displayed excellent communication skills and was always there to assist with my questions, there were notable issues with last-minute procedures and the cleanliness of the property upon moving in. If Connells can address these shortcomings and improve their procedural efficiency, it would significantly enhance the overall client experience.I hope this review helps potential clients make an informed decision when choosing Connells Property and their agent, Harriet Ward, for their property needs.
1/5
TrustpilotAvoid!!!!!!!!!!!
Recommend this company is avoided! After my dad passed away, the agreement was terminated, Connells were aware of the circumstances yet this company continued to advertise our property without consent! 2 months later a letter was received to both my parents advising that the agreement was to expire 6 weeks later. When challenged it was advised that the letter was automated yet they didn’t recognise their own reference. If an agreement has already been terminated why are we receiving automated letters containing incorrect information. The Branch Manager was conveniently always unavailable when visiting the shop!This experience is getting 1star as I wasn’t given the option review with no stars !
1/5
TrustpilotFor your sanity, safety, & financial security - STAY CLEAR!
For your sanity, safety, and financial security, please stay WELL CLEAR of Connells. Here are some reasons: 1. Dangerous Houses: We rented a house through them for 12 months while the sale of our property is going through and we look to purchase elsewhere. On moving in, we found the boiler to be leaking oil and was unusable - the air was absolutely filled with noxious fumes and we both had blood coming from our noses. Being pregnant, we couldn’t move in for weeks until it was all fixed. We still have not received recompense for this.2. Incompetent & Threatening: The landlord requested that we change the bank to which we make payments, which we immediately did. Connells then began issuing us with CCJ threats - and would not stop, despite them knowing we were paying our rent. While they eventually apologised, this caused a lot of stress given we were about to embark on a new mortgage and that this would affect our credit rating. 3. Inhumane and breach of covenant of ‘quiet enjoyment’: We have a rental agreement for another six month for this property, however the landlord wishes to sell it. Needless to say, no one wants to buy the place when there’s an active tenancy for another SIX MONTHS. However, someone has requested to do a viewing next week - on the very day our baby arrives. Up to now, we’ve said that viewings are possible if pre-arranged (which is not incumbent on a tenant to do and was us being kind), but have always been very clear that September and October were 100% out - this was agreed well in advance with Connells and the landlord. Tenants pay a lot in rent and part of those terms is a right to ‘quiet enjoyment’ of their property. At no time is this right more sacrosanct than during those first precious months with a newborn, and for me while recovering from major surgery. Personally, I’m not even having my family to visit until November, so to have strangers walking around my home while I’m remembering how to breastfeed, the baby and I are trying to sleep, midwives are changing dressings etc. is filling me with horror and dread. I would have thought in this day and age everyone would understand this. Both Connells and the landlord originally said ‘of course’ to this stipulation, but now they are going back on their agreement and have said viewings must continue.So the fact that we are now having to prepare for someone to view our home rather than the arrival of our child gives you a taste of the kind of agency they are! The correspondence we received about it yesterday told me that I need to ‘stay in the bedroom’ in the attic, as if I belong in a Brontë novel, or should somehow feel ashamed of new motherhood. So, to conclude, if you are thinking to sell with Connells, please think again, their level of competence means I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole.If you are thinking of viewing a house with Connells, expect to encounter tearful tenants banished to attics who are in no position to have strangers look around their homes - you will not be welcome!And, most crucially, if you are looking to rent with Connells, expect dangerous houses, no privacy, breach of agreements, and potential life-long consequences to your financial security!
1/5
TrustpilotConnells warndon villages worcester
Connells warndon villages worcester, all over you to sell, we sold and our buyers buyer pulled out, no one told us, lost our onward purchase (which i found out through another estate agent) resold which we were only aware of when my buyer turned up to tell us as we needed to find a house! re brought and throughout the whole experience did not hear off them once! My buyers estate agent did all the chasing (Hills worcester-amazing)
5/5
TrustpilotWe were looking to rent and found a…
We were looking to rent and found a property we liked with Connells. The pace at which things were sorted was just dreamy. Within a few days, paper work was done and we literally move into the property within that week!! I can’t thank Adam and Ambre enough for their kindness and understanding. They really went out of their way to sort things out for us. I remember Ambre having to come in early to hand over the keys so that the packers could start early and Adam also had to stay in late for some paperwork to be done on time. Kudos to the fantastic team! Highly recommended.
5/5
TrustpilotGreat team in Watford Office
Recently bought our first home through Connells Watford branch, and cannot praise them enough. There were issues with their partner legal services, but Brandon from the Watford office was on hand and helped to ensure the process was as smooth as possible.At every step of the way, he was available and provided information guiding us through the process, explaining in detail exactly what we could expect and how we could manage it.Towards the end of the process, the legal side required lots of witnessed signatures, which Brandon was happy to do for us on numerous occasions, and continued to explain what everything meant and how it would work.This would have been a very different (and unpleasant) experience if it wasn't for him, so Thank you Brandon for getting us through it!
1/5
TrustpilotOverall poor, bad communication and driven by viewings not sale
My property was listed in September, I had offers but was not entirely happy with the risk of one, though went with the advise of their branch manager. The communication and info was pretty poor, which ultimately led to the buyer pulling out in Feb, right when my offer on buying a house was agreed. Up to this point their performance was somewhat excusable, but Connells then seemingly chucked any random through my house without due diligence checks as to whether the viewer was in a position, or even able, to buy, which was extremely inconvenient. The feedback also showed clearly they weren't 'selling' the house, or answering questions, but this may be more a point on the viewers than the caliber of agents (who are generally pretty good though on occasion were a touch rude). This also meant I lost out on another house purchase.The past week, whilst on a training course working from home, I requested viewings to be cancelled, but Connells proceeded anyway, interrupting to a potentially detrimental result on my course. Once is bad enough but then two days later they arrived on another viewing, earlier than it even had been booked, that had also been cancelled, with my partner having just stepped out of the shower to see some random guy in my garden looking through the windows. One of these issues is excusable but not all continuously.I'd strongly advise using any other agent
5/5
GoogleHad a really good experience with Connells selling our property and helping us find a new one. A special shout out to Sam & Jake for going above and beyond throughout the process. Would recommend to anyone.
Hi Adam, thank you for your wonderful recommendation and 5* review. Best wishes, Lucy, Customer Relations.
5/5
TrustpilotWe (Lisa/Jon) are very pleased to say…
We (Lisa/Jon) are very pleased to say that CONNELLS Estate Agents mutley plain are very professional/ courteous and nothing we needed was not to much trouble for the team. From beginning to end of the process is selling our house was excellent. We highly recommend Alli / Sam and TEAM if you are looking to sell your home. All our thanks and best wishes to you all.
1/5
TrustpilotAwful to deal with
We were asked to quote them for some windows in the NG2 area of Nottingham, we agreed a price, I informed them that we needed a contract signing and a deposit paying, I was asked to send the paperwork to a totally different email address, it was a maintenance companies email, we then received a call from a finance company asking if they could buy the windows directly from our suppliers, this immediately rang alarm bells, so I informed them that we would no longer carry on with the work, we then received a 1-star review on here, awful to deal with, phone calls to my mobile at 9pm, constantly messaging on whattsapp, I genuinely believe that we have had a lucky escape.
1/5
Trustpilotterrible estate not answering phone…
terrible estate not answering phone calls i was ringing the office in kings wood the lady on the phone slam the phone on me if you selling a house you are wasting your time with these people
1/5
TrustpilotMortgage Advice Service, Extremely Disappointedg this review out of sheer…
I am writing this review out of sheer frustration with the service I received from Connells during my recent remortgage process. This was my first ever remortgage, and from the very first call I made it clear to the advisor that I had no prior experience and needed clear guidance, step by step. He assured me he would explain everything properly but unfortunately, that never happened.
5/5
GoogleShannon was amazing with the process of moving. We had 4 days until our tenancy was up and she managed to get everything done so quickly for us and she is lovely! Thank you! 😊 …
Thank you for your superb 5* review. Best wishes, Lucy, Customer Relations.
5/5
TrustpilotHad a survey conducted from James…
Had a survey conducted from James Edmundson. I mean, what can I say... he was quick, efficient and friendly. It was immaculately clear that he knows his trade and knows full well what hes doing. Knows the area impeccably and promised a quick turnaround on delivery. Connells... youve got a keeper.
5/5
TrustpilotI used the in house mortgage advisor…
I used the in house mortgage advisor Joseph Whitmore when buying my house. Throughout the process he was professional and very knowledgeable. He dealt with issues quickly and confidently ensuring that the mortgage went through in a timely manner. Would recommend Joseph to others in the future
1/5
TrustpilotVery poor experience with Connells
Very poor experience with Connells. I was quoted a clear fee to find new tenants which was supposed to include references, Right to Rent checks and the tenancy agreement. Instead, I received a statement with lots of extra and duplicated charges.
5/5
TrustpilotConnells - sound, experienced, and full of vitality.
Would like to say that Connells helped me with the purchase of a leasehold property in 2019, and also for the sale of the same property in 2022. Always friendly, found the right buyer (taking their own considerations into account), and were highly responsive, informed and moved at the right times. Have no complaints, only praise. Would like to thank Emma Eldridge for her work in 2021 as she identified a sound purchaser for good reasons, and helped to make it happen for them on their timeframe, which is the most important thing of all.
5/5
GoogleThe Connels team represents among the highest levels of service I have experienced. I was directly engaged with Shannon and Stuart who helped me step by step through the renting process. No hustle or stress. Information was accurate, and responses to queries were turned around very fast. Answers were clear and, where necessary detailed enough for us to make informed decisions quickly, minimizing the end-to-end time to process complex transactions. I would undoubtedly recommend this agency for their friendly, honest, and welcoming interaction, nonetheless with the best professional attitude. Thank you, Shannon, Stuart and the Connels agency team!
1/5
GoogleI wish I had not bothered instructing Connells. Despite how up and down the market has been I strongly think had we avoided them we would be in a much more sensible position. I had a varied experience however these were some of the prominent issues we encountered: The photos taken by Connells showed the 'For Sale' sign for a different sales company operating in the block. I had to continually call Connells to enquire about how viewing went and what feedback had been provided by individuals who had viewed the property. I had to call Connells to get them to put a 'For Sale' sign out because after approx 6 weeks it still had not been done. I was called on one occasion and left a voice mail roughly two months into the sales process to discuss the marketing of the property. I called back having missed the initial call but did not get hold of anyone and did not get another call. I attended the offices on a late Saturday morning to collect the property key and the 'closed' sign was on the door... certainly won't help sales enquiries... Three months after having removed them as our agent I got a call from Connells seeing if I would like to put my property on the market with them... They are utterly clueless about anything going on in their offices.
Hello, please contact us via complianceresidential@connells.co.uk with full details so that we can look into this concern further for you. Kind regards, Lucy, Customer Relations.
1/5
GoogleMy experience with Connells, Shirley, in purchasing my first home was predominantly negative. The branch manager, Sam Binnington, exhibited unprofessional behavior and provided inaccurate information. During the bidding process, I was misled into a false sense of competition. Discovering Connells' deceit through a handwritten letter to the seller's door unveiled discrepancies, the sellers had not received my subsequent offers, and the value of my original offer was misrepresented, casting doubt on transparency. Sam attributed these issues to 'communication problems.' Despite false claims of a higher competing offer, the sellers eventually accepted mine. The delay in acceptance led to a significant increase in my mortgage interest rate. Sam's actions remained unexplained, lacking an apology. I question whether my decision against using Connells' in-branch services influenced the agent's behavior and if service users receive preferential treatment. Alternatively, I wonder if the competing buyer was also selling their home with Connells, affording them preferential treatment. Amidst the negative experience, Jamie and Jake stood out for their professionalism and courtesy. Reflecting on this, I advise prospective buyers to obtain written confirmation of phone conversations with the agent, ensuring clarity and accountability in the property purchasing process. I only got the house I wanted by writing to the sellers directly as Connells obstructed me from buying it. Therefore, I'd also advise potential buyers to consider taking a similar approach if they have any doubts about transparency.
Hello, I am sorry if you were not happy in your experience with us. If you wish to share any further comments about your experience, please do email me at complianceresidential@connells.co.uk Kind regards, Lucy, Customer Relations.
1/5
TrustpilotDysfunctional
Have been using this company for a fully managed service on our rental property. To provide a balanced review - here's the positives:They will invoice you for their costs on time. The in team branch do their best to help but are at the mercy of a dysfunctional corporate business model....now to the negatives:The remote "support centre" team are anything but supportive. There is a lack of accountability, communication and follow up. Simple tasks such as informing energy suppliers of tenancy changes take months to get resolved. Communication flows from the tenant to landlord are poor. Chasing outstanding issues such as overdue rent or maintenance tasks feels like a tick box exercise which results in further delay / lack of action. Good luck if you have a deposit dispute as they will give you zero support. Most frustrating of all is the fact that I have escalated these issues on multiple occasions to give the company a chance to resolve and yet I find myself in the same place.My simple advice is please do your research and consider very carefully before using this outfit for a tenancy service.
1/5
TrustpilotConnells is a terrible agency that you should not work with
Connells is a terrible agency that only cares about you until the contract is signed. After being exemplary tenants for over 2 years, we have received zero support or flexibility. Despite the standard practice in the UK, they refused any 'rolling contract' options, forcing us into rigid fixed terms.
2/5
TrustpilotBad property management
I signed a change of management contract for a property already rented. Rent for the month had not been paid. Contract was signed around the 10th, and at the end of the month the arreas rent had not been pursued. I lost money on mortgage interest.
Where the same review appears twice we show it once. We leave out reviews that name another agent or another of the brand's offices.
Connells's Southampton office has 1,768 reviews across two platforms: 157 on Google, 1,611 on Trustpilot (across the whole business).
Connells Shirley is rated 2.1 out of 5 across all 1,768 reviews, and 4.2 out of 5 on Google from 157 reviews.
Connells Shirley, 409 Shirley Road, Southampton, SO15 3JD, SO15 3JD.
